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Backpack Online- September 29, 2023
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September 29, 2023
Annual survey gathers community feedback on perceptions, reputation of district
The Anoka-Hennepin School Board is committed to collecting community feedback as an essential element to ensure schools are meeting the needs of the community.
The district authorizes an annual scientifically valid survey of community members using the Morris Leatherman company, a leading Twin Cities based firm to collect the data - which is considered accurate by plus or minus 4.5 percentage points in 95 of 100 cases:
☎️ Conducted by phone.
🔀 Contacted 500 randomly selected residents and 400 randomly selected parents in the Anoka-Hennepin School District.
Women and men are equally represented.
Demographics are representative of the population of the community.
📍 Participants are located in locations across school district boundaries, representative of the communities.
Why it matters: The information gathered is used to monitor performance and guide decision making. Questions seek to understand the quality of education, support/job performance of teachers and administration, and community involvement. In total, the survey includes 107 questions, including many perception questions asked every year, which are monitored to identify trends or areas of concern.
❤️ Caring staff: 95% of parents think teachers and staff care about their children and that their child’s school is safe.
📚 Educational opportunities: 91% like the wide range of programs and opportunities for students.
🤝 Providing support: 90% say all or most of their child’s learning needs are met.
⬆️ Reputation: 87% rated the quality of education provided as good or excellent, up five percentage points from 2022.
🚸 Trust in leadership: 87% trust the School Board to do what’s right by the children and do a good job involving the community and citizens in decisions about schools.
💲 Fiscal responsibility: 82% think the school district has spent tax dollars effectively and efficiently.
👨🏫 Strongest ratings:Community members say the top benefits in the district include good programs/broad curriculum, high-quality education and good teachers.
The district commits to an annual survey as one tool in a system of continuous improvement for the school district. Visit ahschools.us/schoolboard to view the full presentation and report.
Retired bus paraeducator recognized with Minnesota's top award
Brookside and Hamilton rock their schools with engaging learning experiences
Two schools in Anoka-Hennepin have made it a tradition to participate in Rock Your School events which take place worldwide, annually, in an effort to energize educators, engage students and celebrate learning. This year, the event was held Friday, Sept. 29, and was the fourth year for both schools to participate in the event.
Hamilton makes it a magical day of learning
Hamilton teachers and staff transformed the school into a fun and magically engaging environment while getting creative with their lesson plans. Hamilton’s theme for this year’s Rock Your School event was “Hamilton Goes Disney.” Teachers and staff decorated their classrooms and even the cafeteria with Disney-themed sets.
📸 View photos from Hamilton’s Rock Your School event.
“This is a really fun day where we celebrate student learning and student engagement,” said Julie Bowman, principal at Hamilton. “It’s about taking the learning standards that we have and adding a little Disney magic to it. It was a special day.”
Brookside levels up engagement while educating
At Brookside Elementary, staff really embraced the idea of continuing to provide high-level instruction while infusing engagement.
For the event, each grade level has a theme. The first grade space was transformed into a carnival and in class the students participated in a popcorn game where they read and wrote sight words. In fifth grade, the students became detectives and had to solve mysteries. They used the theme to start a new unit in science where they had to make specific observations of evidence to solve a case.
📸 View photos from Brookside’s Rock Your School event.
“The teachers have found great ways to take this out-of-the-box thinking and engagement to combine it with what they are already teaching,” said Jim Potthoff, assistant principal at Brookside. “In the past the students have been excited about the decor, but this year they are also excited about the content.”
Young Scientist Roundtable events in Anoka free for all Anoka-Hennepin families
Young Scientist Roundtable events are free and open to Anoka-Hennepin School District students, parents, and community members seeking to learn more about science. Three sessions are scheduled for this year with the first on Oct. 10. All the events are in the evening at the Educational Service Center (2727 N. Ferry St.) in Anoka.
- Tuesday, Oct. 10 from 7-8:40 p.m.
- The topic: “MRI: A powerful tool to see inside your body.”
- Part I of the event is from 7-8 p.m. and will explore how strong magnets are used to image the hydrogen atoms in our body.
- Part II is from 8-8:40 p.m. and features Dr. Mehmet Akcakaya who will go into greater depth about how images are formed from MRI recordings and how these are being improved with deep learning methods.
- Registration is required to attend the event. Visit the registration website.
- View a flyer for the event.
Energy savings: Solar energy panels installed at two Coon Rapids schools
Solar panels have been installed at Adams and Hoover Elementary schools
Anoka-Hennepin is exploring the benefits of solar energy as a possible energy savings tool. The district entered a no-cost agreement with Ideal Energy and Xcel Energy, installing solar panels at Adams and Hoover elementary schools in Coon Rapids.
The goal is to improve energy efficiencies reducing costs across the system, and solar energy is an area the district is exploring as a possible energy savings tool.
📸 View photos from Adams Elementary and Hoover Elementary.
Between solar-generated energy and electric energy (which will still be required for total energy needs), the projected energy utility savings range from 10-25% annually over the next 20 years at each site. After 20 years, the district will own the solar panels outright and will realize 100% of the energy savings generated by the solar panels.
The solar panels will also provide additional educational opportunities for students to learn about renewable energy. Specifically, fourth-grade students will learn about different energy sources, discover how people use energy, and find out what impact energy use has on the environment.
🗞️ View the full story.
Parent Engage 360 Podcast Episode 36: Parent involvement in schools
In the latest episode of the Parent Engage 360 Podcast, host Liz Burgard, district parent involvement coordinator, was joined by Coon Rapids High School principal John Peña and volunteer services coordinator Danille Callahan to discuss the importance of parent involvement in schools.
In the episode, Peña and Callahan discussed their experiences both as parents and in their current roles, and the importance of parents/guardians being involved in their child’s educational journey in a number of ways.
🎧 Tune in to the Parent Engage 360 Podcast on Podbean, Apple Podcasts, or at ahschools.us/parentengage360. The podcast is also now available on Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, iHeartRadio and Samsung Podcasts.
Volunteering and getting involved
Anoka-Hennepin values parent involvement in education and is committed to offering resources to meet the changing needs of parents and families. The district invites parents/guardians and community members to volunteer or participate on committees as a meaningful way to get involved with the district.
- To learn more about becoming a volunteer in Anoka-Hennepin, please visit ahschools.us/volunteer.
- If you are interested in joining a district committee, there are four committees in need of more members. Learn more about district committees.
CPHS World Drumming class to perform with Massamba Diop on Oct. 6
Massamba Diop is one of the most renowned masters of the tama, a talking drum from Senegal, West Africa, known for its ability to replicate the sounds of human speech. Diop will be in residency with the Champlin Park High School (CPHS) World Drumming classes Oct. 2-6, concluding with a concert on Friday, Oct. 6.
The CPHS World Drumming class will perform with the Heart and Soul Drum Academy on Friday, Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. in the CPHS auditorium. Tickets will be available at the door for $5 per person.
During his residency in Anoka-Hennepin, Diop will also share his talents with elementary students at Evergreen Park Elementary - STEM School of Innovation in Brooklyn Center and Wilson Elementary School in Anoka.
Diop’s music can be heard throughout the soundtrack of the major motion picture Black Panther, a Marvel Studios film. This opportunity was made available thanks to a partnership between CPHS music instructor Steve Lyons and the Heart and Soul Drum Academy.
Free Parenting Workshop on Oct. 2 Creating Stress Resilient Learners
Help your children become more stress resilient. Learn when stress is good, when it is bad, and how to manage the many stressors of life – no matter what age. Adults will learn practical, creative, and effective strategies to improve resilience and well-being that they can pass on to their children. There is no cost to attend, however pre-registration is encouraged. The event is scheduled for Monday, October 2 from 6 – 7 p.m. Presenter Chase Mielke is an award-winning educator, writer, and speaker focusing on teaching the science of well-being and helping students thrive.
Save the Date: Hiring event on Oct. 12
District to host hiring event for non-teaching positions Oct. 12 at Anoka High School
The Anoka-Hennepin School District will host an in-person hiring event for non-teaching positions Thursday, Oct. 12 from 3:30-5:30 p.m. at Anoka High School. The hiring event will take place in the main commons area of the school located at 3939 Seventh Ave. N in Anoka (Enter Door 1).
Anoka-Hennepin Schools is a great place to live and work. Our communities work together to provide residents with safe and friendly neighborhoods, high-quality schools, a wide range of business and economic opportunities, beautiful parks and abundant recreational activities.
Join us to learn about employment opportunities and have a same-day, on-site interview for various positions. Participants are strongly encouraged to begin filling out applications ahead of time at ahschools.us/jobs and come prepared to interview with hiring managers.
📢 What we offer: Eligible employees may enroll in a comprehensive benefits package.
- Health, hospitalization, dental insurance.
- Life and supplemental life insurance benefits.
- Long-term disability plan.
- Opportunities to participate in flexible benefits plans such as health savings and dependent/child care savings accounts.
- Professional development opportunities.
Everyone plays a role in student achievement; help your community succeed by applying today!
Visit ahschools.us/jobs or call 763-506-JOBS for more information.
Nationwide Emergency Alert Test set for Wed., Oct. 4
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will conduct a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) on Wednesday, Oct. 4. The national test is scheduled to begin at approximately 1:30 p.m on Wednesday, Oct. 4. The WEA portion of the test will be directed to all cell phones, so please expect any faculty and student mobile devices to be alerted at this time.
All wireless phones should receive the message only once. The following can be expected from the nationwide WEA test:
- Beginning at approximately 1:20 p.m., cell towers will broadcast the test for approximately 30 minutes. During this time, WEA-compatible wireless phones that are switched on, within range of an active cell tower, and whose wireless provider participates in WEA, should be capable of receiving the test message.
- The message that appears on screen will read: “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”
Visit www.ready.gov/alerts for more information on the emergency alert system.
First Say it Again extended hours of the school year set for Oct. 4
Say it Again is a store that sells home decor, furniture and gifts refurbished by special education students practicing on-the-job skills through an Anoka-Hennepin Schools work-based learning program called Teaching Employability through Assessment and Manufacturing (TEAM). The store in Andover (13735 Round Lake Blvd. NW) will have extended hours on Wednesday, Oct. 4 until 6 p.m. Everything in the store is 25% off.
Regular store hours are Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
School Board approves increased wages for a range of positions
Child nutrition, substitute teachers, custodians and other operational positions
The Anoka-Hennepin School Board recently approved pay rate increases for a wide range of employee positions that are important to keeping schools operating to maximize learning for students. Most positions now offer a base wage at a minimum of $17 per hour along with flexible hours and safe, energetic work environments located close to home.
Families can save money, earn educational benefits
While the state's Free School Meals program to being in 2023, families will still need to apply to qualify for more educational benefits
Starting Sept. 5, 2023, every student may receive one breakfast and one lunch at no cost during the school year. The state’s Free School Meals program will cover the cost of one breakfast meal and one lunch meal for every student daily, however the cost of a la carte items, such as milk, other drinks, or extra meal items will not be covered. Students will need to have funds in their meal accounts to purchase any additional food items.
If your family needs access to any other educational benefits available to your student, please visit ahschools.us/freereduced to complete an application. The enrollment window for the 2023 Applications for Educational Benefits begins Aug. 1, 2023.
Get involved: Join a district committee
Anoka-Hennepin values parent involvement in education and is committed to offering resources to meet the changing needs of parents and families. The district invites parents/guardians and community members to participate on committees as a meaningful way to get involved with the district.
The district is coordinating an annual committee application process for committees in need of new members as a strategy to increase awareness of opportunities and participation from community members and parents.
There are currently nine committees districtwide and four are in need of more members. The Early Childhood Family Education Parent Advisory Council (PAC), Special Education Advisory Council (SEAC), Student Services Advisory Council (SSAC) and the Parent Advisory Committee for Racial and Ethnic Equity are all seeking new members.
Additional district news
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This e-newsletter is published by Anoka-Hennepin Schools. It's sent to Anoka-Hennepin families and community members who subscribe on a weekly basis during the school year, excluding breaks (and periodically during the summer). Questions, comments or concerns about the Backpack Online e-newsletter? Contact us.